FL Land Surveyor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Chapter 472, F.S.

The Florida statute that governs the practice of surveying and mapping, including licensure requirements, disciplinary actions, and the duties of the Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers.

Chapter 177, F.S.

The Florida statute that regulates platting and recording of subdivisions, including requirements for plat approval, contents, and the process for correcting plats.

Chapter 120, F.S.

The Administrative Procedure Act of Florida, which sets out procedures for agency rulemaking, adjudication, and judicial review, affecting how surveying regulations are created and challenged.

Rule 5J-17, F.A.C.

The Florida Administrative Code rule chapter that contains the Board of Professional Surveyors and Mappers' regulations, including minimum technical standards for surveys and recordkeeping requirements.

Minimum technical standards

Standards adopted by the Board that specify the minimum accuracy, content, and documentation required for boundary surveys, including ties to the Florida State Plane Coordinate System.

Certificate of authorization

A certificate issued by the Board to a business entity that offers surveying services, requiring a licensed surveyor to be in responsible charge of the entity's surveying work.

Seal and signature

A licensed surveyor must affix their seal and signature to final survey documents, certifying that the work was performed under their responsible charge and meets applicable standards.

Record retention

Surveyors must retain field notes, calculations, and other survey records for a minimum of five years after completion of the survey, as required by Rule 5J-17.052, F.A.C.

Hierarchy of evidence

The order in which boundary evidence is considered: natural monuments, artificial monuments, courses and distances, and area, with natural monuments generally controlling over measurements.

Original government corner

A corner established by the original U.S. Public Land Survey; Florida law requires these corners to be preserved or reestablished using the best available evidence, including original field notes.

Lost corner

A corner whose original monument cannot be found or identified; it may be reestablished by proportioning distances between existing corners or by other collateral evidence.

Remonumentation

The process of reestablishing and marking a boundary corner that has been lost or destroyed, often requiring a new plat or affidavit of correction under Chapter 177, F.S.

Monument description

A detailed record of a monument's material, dimensions, and identifying marks, which must be included in survey documents to allow future surveyors to locate and verify the monument.

Boundary by acquiescence

A legal doctrine where a boundary line long recognized and accepted by adjacent landowners may be enforced even if it differs from the record boundary, based on evidence of agreement and reliance.

Plat amendment

A formal change to a recorded plat, requiring approval by the local governing body and recording of a new plat or affidavit of correction in accordance with Chapter 177, F.S.

Angular closure

The difference between the sum of measured interior angles of a closed traverse and the theoretical sum (n-2)×180°; it must be within allowable tolerance for the survey to be accepted.

Linear error of closure

The vector sum of all courses in a traverse, representing the distance between the computed and starting points; relative precision is the ratio of this error to total traverse length.

NAD 83

The North American Datum of 1983, the horizontal geodetic datum used for the Florida State Plane Coordinate System and most modern surveying in Florida.

NAVD 88

The North American Vertical Datum of 1988, the vertical reference used for elevations in Florida surveys, replacing the older NGVD 29.

Florida State Plane Coordinates

A coordinate system based on NAD 83 that divides Florida into zones (East, West, North) for mapping and surveying, allowing consistent location of points across the state.

GNSS survey

A survey using Global Navigation Satellite Systems, which must be tied to the Florida Permanent Reference Network or approved CORS and meet accuracy standards for boundary work.

Ordinary high water line

The line along a water body that marks the ordinary high water mark; in Florida, it often defines the boundary between private uplands and sovereign submerged lands.

Single-proportion method

A technique for reestablishing a lost corner by dividing the distance between two existing corners proportionally to the original record distances, used when the original line is straight.

Double-proportion method

A technique for reestablishing a lost corner by proportioning in two directions, typically used when the corner is at the intersection of two lines and both directions have evidence.

Metes and bounds description

A property description that defines boundaries by courses (bearings) and distances from a point of beginning, often referencing monuments; it must close mathematically and state the basis of bearings.

Point of beginning

The starting point of a metes and bounds description, typically a monument or a point referenced to a monument, from which all courses and distances are measured.

Basis of bearings

The reference direction used for bearings in a survey, such as true north, magnetic north, or an assumed line; it must be stated in the description to allow retracement.

Subdivision plat

A map of a subdivision showing lots, blocks, streets, easements, and dedications, which must be approved and recorded in the county public records to create legal lots.

Affidavit of correction

A document used to correct minor errors in a recorded plat, such as scrivener's errors, without requiring a new plat, as allowed by Chapter 177, F.S.

Aliquot part description

A property description using government survey subdivisions, such as the NW 1/4 of the SE 1/4, which is acceptable if the government survey corners are intact.

Field notes

The permanent written record of a survey, including measurements, sketches, monument descriptions, and conditions; they must be legible, dated, and retained for at least five years.

Plat approval

The process by which a local governing body reviews and approves a subdivision plat before it can be recorded; approval ensures compliance with local ordinances and Chapter 177, F.S.